ard?
And what will ye leave to your ain mither dear,
My dear son, now tell me, O?"
"The curse of hell frae me sall ye bear,
Mither, mither;
The curse of hell frae me sall ye bear;
Sic counsels ye gave to me, O!_"

--ANONYMOUS

* * * * *

The trouble had begun on the eighteenth day of the ninth month. A party
of unidentified men had stolen into the occupied zone during the night.
Without warning, they killed three guards, seized control of the
dispensary, raided the pharmacy, taking the entire supply of fungus
immunization serum, together with a supply of the deadly phials and
needles. They stole a flyer and departed to the south, skimming low over
the forest to avoid fire from the grounded fleet. The following day, a
leaflet appeared, circulating among the fleet personnel.

NOTICE OF SANCTUARY
TO: ALL PERSONNEL
FROM: AUSLAND COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: FREEDOM

1. ANY OFFICER OR MAN WHO WISHES TO RESIGN FROM THE SERVICES OF
THE IMPERIAL FORCES OF THE SECESSION MAY DO SO OF THIS DATE.

2. THE PROCEDURE FOR RESIGNATION INVOLVES NO FORMAL STATEMENT.
A MAN MAY TERMINATE HIS PERIOD OF SERVICE BY DEPARTING FROM THE
OCCUPIED ZONE.

3. ANY OFFICER OR MAN WHO ATTEMPTS TO INTERFERE WITH THE
RESIGNATION OF ANOTHER SHALL BE TRIED IN ABSENTIA BY THIS
COMMITTEE, AND IF FOUND GUILTY, SHALL INCUR THE DEATH PENALTY.

AUSLAND COMMITTEE

"An outrageous and preposterous bit of deviltry!" ven Klaeden had
hissed. "Get them. Make an example of them."

In reversal of previous policy, a police party was sent to search for
the self-styled ausland committee, with orders to capture or kill on
sight. The police party hunted down and killed six deserters, dragged
eleven more back to the occupied zone, under the very eyes of the native
population. But the immunizing serum was not recovered.

A few days later, three staff officers and a dozen officers in Justice
Section awoke with yelps in the night to pluck stinging needles from
their skins and scream for the guard to pursue the silent shadows that
had invaded their quarters.

Five men were captured. Three of them were natives. Interrogation failed
to disclose the location of the immunizing serum.

Muttering natives began to desert the project. The five culprits were
brought before the baron.

"Execute them in public, with full dress military ceremony. Then close